


Must All Good Things Come to an End?

by Tardis_Witch



Series: Marvel One-shots and Drabbles [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Spoilers, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:11:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7493349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tardis_Witch/pseuds/Tardis_Witch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony tries to make amends with Pepper after everything else in his life falls apart</p>
            </blockquote>





	Must All Good Things Come to an End?

**Author's Note:**

> I am not ok with Pepperony being over so I wrote a thing and also made myself cry  
> Hope you enjoy!

Tony Stark didn't like feeling nervous, unfortunately it was a feeling he'd been forced to grow familiar with over the past four years. He'd been able to get the after-effects of The Battle of New York under control, but he knew he'd never be completely over it.

Thankfully, these nerves had nothing to do with wormholes or aliens falling from the sky. But some would say he was about to face something much worse.

He took a deep breath, attempting to steel himself for this encounter, then opened the door to the office of Pepper Potts.

She looked up as soon as the door open, a scowl immediately appearing on her brow. "Tony," she said coldly, "what are you doing here?"

Tony sat down on the chair across from her before she could have him escorted out of the room. She had the dumb spiny thing on her desk again and his mind flashed back to a similar scenario from  six years ago. Thankfully he'd remembered not to bring strawberries this time.

"Pepper, please, can we talk?" he asked pleadingly.

"I've had enough talking," she answered, keeping her eyes focused on her computer, although Tony could see that the only thing up was her desktop screen. She just wanted an excuse to not look at him.

Tony sighed, "Look, I know. I know I screwed up. I screwed up big time. I just… I don't - I don't know what to do to make it right."

"Make it right?" Pepper repeated, exasperated. Finally, she looked at him, "Tony, there is no 'make it right.' Ok?" She sighed and shook her head. "You were almost there, when you destroyed all your suits and got your arc reactor removed, I thought 'maybe, maybe we can make this work. Maybe he's finally ready to be a freakin human being!'" She had started in a tired voice but now her tone and volume were rising. "But no! Just after I thought you were finally ready to grow up - " she cut off and took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "Then Ultron happens."

Tony looked down. He knew that all his good intentions would never convince people he wasn't at fault in that situation. Thousands of people had died in Sokovia, and everyone blamed him for it. Nothing he said or did had made it easier for Pepper to look at him in the weeks after that disaster. He knew nothing he said now would make a difference.

He met Pepper's eyes, which were filled with pain and confusion. "And now this," she said, back to sounding tired and drained, as she held up a newspaper with the title "Avengers at War?" and a picture of his and Steve's faces set against each other like they were about to enter some sort of cage match. " I thought he was your friend," she said, voice breaking slightly, "if you treat your friends like this then - " she shrugged helplessly and let the newspaper fall.

Tony had no words. He had tried to explain, so many times. To Nat, to Sharon, to himself. There were so many rationalizations and attempts at logic that he used. They almost worked, sometimes. But he'd avoided telling anyone the truth. The real reason he had betrayed Steve at the last moment.

"He killed my mom," he heard himself saying quietly.

"What?" Pepper said, sounding genuinely confused and concerned.

"He- Barnes - The Winter Soldier, whatever you call him," Tony said shaking his head and looking down. "I found out that… the accident that killed my parents - well, it wasn't an accident. "

"Oh my gosh, Tony," Pepper whispered.

He took a deep breath, running his hands over his face as if he could wipe away the memory. "They had a video. And he - he beat her. And he kept beating her as she screamed. Until she wasn't screaming anymore." His voice shook, but he kept going. "I just - I broke, Pepper," he said in a small voice. "I knew, I knew it wasn't his fault, I knew he was as much to blame for her death as - as Clint is for what he did under Loki's control - but I just ... broke." He looked up at Pepper, lips pressed together as he tried, futilely, to keep from crying. She reached out across the desk and took his hand, despite herself it seemed. "He killed my mom," he repeated.

"And Steve sided with him," she said, softly, understandingly, "so you fought them both."

Tony nodded, hating himself "And now, all my friends are fugitives. Rhodey is paralyzed, Vision won't talk to me, on top of Bruce being in the wind since Sokovia and I just - I can't seem to fix any of my messes."

Pepper sighed sadly, "That's just it Tony. You are … a mess. And being with you is messy and scary and I just … I don't think I can handle it anymore." The tenderness in her voice as she said this only broke his heart further.

"I don't think I can take life without you much longer," he said softly, squeezing her hand on top of the desk.

"You're going to need to try, Tony," she said sympathetically. She sounded like she was close to tears herself, but there was also a finality in her tone that made it clear the conversation was over. Tony swallowed and stood, placing a small black box on the desk as he let go of her hand and walked himself out of the office.

 

Pepper waited until the image of Tony's retreating form was lost in the hallways outside her office before reaching for the small box he'd set down. She opened it, lifting the lid on it's hinges slowly. She picked up a piece of paper that had been placed over the contents. It simply said "For the one thing I can't live without," followed by Tony's sloppy signature. She fought a smile that perked up at the sight of his familiar hand, and the memory of when he'd said that phrase to her, what felt like so long ago.

Under the paper was a set of earrings and a necklace, but they weren't outrageously expensive looking or obnoxious. They were pretty and practical, exactly the kind she liked wearing every day. The contrast between these and previous gifts he'd gotten her - a particular giant rabbit came to mind  - was significant.

She fingered the earrings and allowed the smile to creep onto her face.

She thought she had come to an ultimate decision, she knew that, logically, her life was easier without Tony in it. He _was_ a mess. But he was _her_ mess. She knew he needed her, and she was beginning to realize just how much she needed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if I got any details wrong, it's been a while since I watched Civil War and I haven't had a chance to refresh my memory of what exactly was said about their relationship


End file.
